AN EXCLUSIVE FROM INSIDE, THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE STRAZ CENTER James Lafayette wanted to play the bass – the double bass, to be precise. The instrument, though, was a bit too large for the preteen. The cello’s size, however, was just right. But he wanted to play bass. James Lafayette (pictured above) playing the... Continue Reading →
This Story Comes with Strings Attached
Pull a string tight enough, thump it, and make a sound. Strap that string to a box with a hole in it, and voilà! Guitar. Or violin. Perhaps cello or double bass. Forty-seven strings on a frame equals one harp, and if there’s a complex enough box and frame built around 230 or so strings,... Continue Reading →
Building Instrumental
The Straz Center invited Los Angeles-based performance ensemble String Theory to turn the riverside corner of Morsani Hall into a working harp with 200-foot strings. This original, site-specific Fin Harp is on display with demonstrations through May 3. Look closely at the design of the newly-installed wooden harp on the river side of Morsani’s... Continue Reading →